During a soggy General Audience yesterday, Pope Francis re-launched the commitment to pray for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Family rather than continue to engage in the gossip that is surrounding the event.

A vial of blood from the patron saint of the Italian city of Naples transformed from its usual solid state into a liquid after a visit from Pope Francis, marking the first time since 1848 that this phenomenon occurred during the visit of a sitting pontiff.

While addressing members of a plenary assembly on women in Rome on Saturday, Pope Francis said the time to rise to the challenge of finding new ways for women to be full participants in both social and ecclesial life “can no longer be postponed.”

Pope Francis was reportedly surprised to learn that his comments regarding responsible parenthood were so badly misunderstood by the mainstream media who used them as way to further their narrative that we have a progressive Pope who is gunning to rewrite Church teaching on social issues.